Not plain sailing ?
With international legislation to protect the mako shark about to be introduced , Shark Trust MD Paul Cox considers its long-term implications
Avian malaria hits penguins
Around 50 penguins at Dudley Zoo – about 70 per cent of the colony – have died of avian malaria . The outbreak decimated the colony of 69 Humboldt penguins . Despite the best efforts of vets , the outbreak – potentially caused by changes in weather – could not be stopped , the zoo said . Zoo Director Derek Grove said the zoo had experienced nothing like it in 30 years of operations . “ We do not know if last year ’ s unusual weather pattern has played a part , but wet and muggy weather impacted the penguins ’ moulting season and also increased the risk of mosquitoes .”
It can be difficult to celebrate success when you work in conservation . There ’ s always a ‘ but ’ to accompany every positive step . Just look at what came out of COP26 – was that a success or an abject failure ? I genuinely can ’ t tell . And so , it could be for December ’ s announcement about the long-awaited and hard-fought ban on fishing for shortfin mako in the North Atlantic . This is , or should be , the culmination of five years of intensive campaigning for us , working alongside our partners in the Shark League .
The headline is that policy-makers finally bent to substantial pressure to follow the scientific advice . Fishers in the North Atlantic are now obliged to return any shortfin mako that they catch . Survival rates are relatively high , so this will have a huge impact on the health of the population . Given time . This ‘ retention ban ’ should also mean that fishers will try a lot harder to avoid catching them in the first place . This could benefit other species that are caught ‘ accidentally ’ in the same fishery .
But ( I told you there ’ d be one ), it ’ s not all plain sailing . The EU managed to force a condition that this ban could be reviewed in just two years . That ’ s despite the fact that the mako is classed as Critically Endangered and that scientists project a recovery timescale of 50 years plus . Clearly , two years is not enough . We ’ ll need to stay vigilant and prepare for another showdown in 2024 .
So , should we celebrate or bemoan our fate – and that of the beloved mako ? Well , that ’ s up to you . This result shows that with a strong case , collaboration and persistence , we can change how things work . We can change the basic assumptions of high seas fishing . Yes , there is another challenge for us in just two years . But we have the wind in our sails . We have momentum . We have the first international long-term rebuilding plan for shortfin mako . And we won ’ t give that up easily .
I begin 2022 incredibly proud of my team and our international partners . They ’ ve stuck with this campaign , even when it looked hopeless . They ’ ve been knocked back by the intransigence of EU and US decision-makers . And they ’ ve returned year after year to keep pushing the case for policy makers to follow the science . That , for me , is cause for celebration .
So please , send us your Shark Love Stories to caroline @ sharktrust . org and we ’ ll help you share your moments with the world . www . sharktrust . org 51